President Bush says Cuban President Fidel Castro's decision to step down should be the start of a democratic transition on the island. Cuba's Communist party newspaper published a quote from Mr. Castro Tuesday, saying he will not accept another term as president.

美國總統(tǒng)布什說，古巴國務(wù)委員會(huì)主席卡斯特羅決定辭職，應(yīng)該是古巴民主轉(zhuǎn)變的開端。古巴共產(chǎn)黨報(bào)紙星期二援引卡斯特羅的話說，他不會(huì)繼續(xù)擔(dān)任下屆主席的職務(wù)。

President Bush says the United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty.

布什總統(tǒng)說，美國會(huì)幫助古巴人民實(shí)現(xiàn)自由的上帝賜福。

"I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition," the president said. "First step, of course, will be for people put in these prisons to be let out. I have met with some of the families of prisoners. It just breaks your heart to realize that people have been thrown in prison because they dared speak out."

他說：“我相信菲德爾.卡斯特羅帶來的改變應(yīng)該開啟古巴向民主過渡的階段。第一步當(dāng)然是釋放囚犯。我已經(jīng)會(huì)見了一些囚犯的家人。當(dāng)人們僅僅因?yàn)楦矣诎l(fā)表看法而被投入大牢時(shí)，你會(huì)感到傷心。”

After nearly half a century in power, Fidel Castro's decision to step down appears to open the way for his brother Raul, who has been acting president since the long-time leader's intestinal surgery two years ago.

卡斯特羅在位接近半個(gè)世紀(jì)之后決定辭職，似乎為兄弟勞爾繼任鋪平了道路，勞爾在卡斯特羅兩年前接受腸胃手術(shù)后就一直代理主席職務(wù)。

As power changes hands in Cuba, President Bush says some people will say U.S. policy should promote stability. But Mr. Bush says that would be a mistake because political prisoners would continue to rot in detention and the human condition, in many cases, he says, would remain pathetic.

布什總統(tǒng)在古巴政權(quán)更換之際說，一些人會(huì)說美國的政策應(yīng)該是促進(jìn)古巴穩(wěn)定。但是布什總統(tǒng)說，那會(huì)是一個(gè)錯(cuò)誤，因?yàn)檎�治犯�?huì)繼續(xù)把牢底坐穿，而且他說古巴的人權(quán)在很多情況下都令人悲哀。

"Eventually this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections. And I mean free. And I mean fair. Not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist of as being true democracy," he said.

布什說：“這個(gè)過渡最終應(yīng)該導(dǎo)致產(chǎn)生自由與公正的選舉。我的意思是自由的，公正的。不是卡斯特羅兄弟兩人推出的那類偽裝的民主選舉。”

The president spoke in Rwanda on the third stop of a five-nation tour of Africa. At a press conference with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Mr. Bush was asked what the Cuban leader's decision means for America. He said the question should be what does it mean for Cubans?

布什總統(tǒng)在盧旺達(dá)發(fā)表了這些講話。他在那里進(jìn)行本此非洲5國之行第三站的訪問。布什在同盧旺達(dá)總統(tǒng)共同舉行記者會(huì)時(shí)，被問到古巴領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人辭職對(duì)美國來說意味著什么。他說，問題應(yīng)該是，這對(duì)古巴人民意味著什么。

"They're the ones put in prison because of their beliefs. They're the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society," Mr. Bush said.

布什說：“古巴民眾是因?yàn)樾叛龆�被關(guān)進(jìn)監(jiān)獄的人。古巴民眾是被剝奪在自由社會(huì)中生存權(quán)力的人。”

A new National Assembly was elected in January, and will meet for the first time Sunday to pick the governing Council of State, which will now include a new president.

古巴新一屆全國人民政權(quán)代表大會(huì)今年1月選出，并將在星期天選舉國務(wù)委員會(huì)。這個(gè)委員會(huì)現(xiàn)在將產(chǎn)生1名新主席。